Week In Review

The non-waiver deadline may have passed, but as was predicted, we've still seen plenty of moves in August. Here's a look back at the week as we count down the hours until tomorrow night's signing deadline:

• The White Sox acquired Alex Rios from the Blue Jays for… well, nothing. Rios was claimed off waivers by the Sox and the Jays elected to part ways with Rios and the nearly $60MM left on his contract. Most analysts seemed to think the opportunity to shed that contract was too good to pass up; looks like J.P. Ricciardi agreed.
• The Red Sox acquired their own Alex this week, but theirs plays shortstop and costs about 10% as much. The Reds sent Alex Gonzalez to Boston in exchange for minor league shortstop Kris Negron. Gonzalez had cleared waivers earlier in the week.
• The Reds managed to shed a bit more salary, sending David Weathers to Milwaukee for a player to be named later. This will be Weathers' second tour with the Brew Crew.
• A little more than 24 hours for the Nats to sign Stephen Strasburg. They made a formal offer this week, that reportedly trumps the $10.5MM received by Mark Prior in 2001. I'm betting the Nats are hoping for better results from Strasburg, if he signs.
• Doug Davis was claimed on waivers this week by the Brewers, but a deal never happened. Instead, the Diamondbacks actually offered Davis a one-year extension to stay in Arizona. That seems unlikely though, as Davis is seeking a three-year deal. Davis says that if he can't make that happen in Arizona, he'll test the free agent market.
• The Yankees have said they'll consider bringing Johnny Damon back after the 2009 campaign. Hideki Matsui, on the other hand, likely won't receive the same opportunity. The Bombers would prefer the option of rotating some other players at DH, and Matsui seems to be the odd man out.
• A couple of expensive subtractions this week, as the Brewers DFA'ed Bill Hall, while the Angels released Justin Speier. Hall makes $8.4MM in 2010 with a $9.25MM option for 2011, while Speier is in the third year of a four-year, $18MM deal.

Post-trade deadline lull be damned, there was still a flurry of moves and rumors last week. Let's recap…

• We learned of a few failed trades in the week after the trade deadline, none bigger than a three-way deal that would have sent Felix Hernandez to Boston, Adrian Gonzalez to Seattle, and a horde of prospects to San Diego. Contrary to some reports, the Dodgers were "never close" to dealing first baseman James Loney.
• Blue Jays outfielder Alex Rios was claimed off waivers, possibly by the White Sox. We won't know for sure which team won the claim until early next week, however. The 28-yr old Rios is guaranteed more than $60MM through 2014, so the Jays have a tremendous opportunity to free up some money for the future should they decide to unload him.
• In the "wow, I didn't think they'd actually do it" move of the week, the Red Sox designated the struggling John Smoltz for assignment. We know one team that's unlikely to pursue the future Hall of Famer, and that's the Cardinals. In their perpetual search for a shortstop, Boston put in a waiver claim for the Nationals' Cristian Guzman, while also signing veteran Paul Byrd to a minor league deal for depth. The Sox may also listen to offers for Daisuke Matsuzaka in the future.
• In need of another arm for their rotation, the Twins sent a player to be named later to the Indians for Carl Pavano. Cleveland gets some salary relief out of the deal, as Minnesota will pay what's left on his contract. 
• Stuck battling for a playoff spot, the Rays bolstered their roster by claiming reliever Russ Springer off waivers from the A's and trading a PTBNL or cash for backstop Gregg Zaun. One of the teams battling the Rays for a playoff spot, the Rangers, went with additon by subtraction by designating Vicente Padilla for assignment.
• The Brewers acquired veteran reliever David Weathers from the Reds in exchange for prospects or cash to shore up the bullpen down the stretch, while the Yankees did the same by acquiring Chad Gaudin from the Padres.
• After hitting just .193-.332-.364 in 83 games, Oakland released the injured Jason Giambi. The Cubs cut B.J. Ryan after he asked for his release.
• On the amateur front, the Pirates broke the bank to sign sixth rounder Zach Von Rosenberg and eighth rounder Colton Cain to seven figure bonuses. The Braves signed first rounder Mike Minor to the largest bonus in club history, which was also the largest bonus ever given out to a seventh overall pick. We also learned that the signing deadline does not apply to Aaron Crow and Tanner Scheppers since they played in independent ball last season. They're free to sign at any point up until a week before next year's draft. The investigation into Miguel Angel Sano's age is still ongoing, while Cuban defectees Yadel Marti, Yasser Gomez, and Juan Yasser were declared free agents.

With the All-Star Game behind us and the trade deadline coming fast, let's look back at the last week:

• The Nationals shook things up last week, firing Manny Acta as their manager. It's hard to imagine that anyone could have turned the Nats around, but Jim Riggleman will get the next chance at the job.
• The Phillies roster looks a little different now, but not because of a trade. They signed future hall-of-famer Pedro Martinez this week. Pedro will receive a base of about $1MM with another $1.5MM possible via incentives. Does Pedro have enough left in the tank to make a big impact for the 2008 World Champs?
• The player to be named later from the Scott Hairston trade was announced this week: Sean Gallagher. The A's landed Gallagher in last year's Rich Harden deal with the Cubs. While he's struggled in Oakland, Gallagher is still just 23 and has quite a bit of potential. The Padres got a pretty nice haul for Hairston.
• You can add the Cardinals to list of teams that will make a run at Roy Halladay. The Jays were big on 2008 first-rounder Brett Wallace, whom the Cardinals took at the number 13 spot, four ahead of the Blue Jays. An interesting thought: could Halladay demand a trade following the 2009 season if he's moved by Toronto?
• The Red Sox made a few headlines this week, opening extension talks with Jason Bay and also designating shortstop Julio Lugo for assignment. Talks about a new deal for Bay have stalled until the offseason it seems, while the Sox have received calls from a number of teams about Lugo, including the Cubs, Cardinals, and Mets.
• The Cubs signed B.J. Ryan this week, following his release from the Blue Jays. Can the former dominant closer revive his career with the Cubs, or have injuries taken too much of a toll for him to make a significant impact?
• The Orioles are looking to deal before the deadline, and names like Danys Baez, George Sherrill, Melvin Mora, and Aubrey Huff are up in the air. The Angels are said to have interest in Sherrill; where can you see the rest them going, or do the Orioles hold onto a player like Huff to collect the draft picks?

J.P. Ricciardi's statement this week that the Blue Jays "would have to listen" to offers for Roy Halladay has caused rumors to run wild, which is the expected result when one of the best pitchers in the game is put on the table. Let's take a look back at the week:

• I'll touch briefly on the Halladay rumors; there's too many to cover in one post. So far, we've heard that the Phillies are the early front-runners, but we also know that the Cardinals have a legitimate interest, and the trade talks have started up for the Rangersas well. And, surprisingly, don't rule out division rivals. The Jays could deal Halladay within the AL East, and both the Red Sox and Yankees are ok with Halladay. Keep in mind though, there's no guarantee that Halladay goes anywhere. Ricciardi would have to be overwhelmed to move him, meaning at least 2-3 of a team's top five prospects. The Erik Bedard and Dan Haren trades will likely be comparable.
• Onto the trades for the week: the A's acquired Scott Hairston from the Padres for two minor league pitchers and a player to be named later. It sounds like the PTBNL is a pitcher with big league experience. Kevin Towers was "excited" about whoever it is. Hairston has turned himself into a productive player over the past couple seasons, and can help the A's in the outfield. However, given their current place in the standings, you have to wonder if this is only a precursor to a Matt Holliday trade.
• In a puzzling move to say the least, the Royals dealt their #3 prospect, Danny Cortes, and another pitcher to the Mariners to acquire Yuniesky Betancourt. This trade has been widely lamented by Royals fans, and with good reason. Betancourt's numbers have plumetted since he signed long-term with the Mariners, and those same numbers suggest that he has deteriorated to one of the worst offensive players in baseball, to go along with a terrible glove. I don't understand the Royals' side of this trade at all. The Royals also acquired Ryan Freel this week.
• The Braves and Mets swapped outfielders Jeff Francoeur and Ryan Church this week. I like this one for the Braves, given Church's ability to play center and his great start to the 2008 season. However, he's struggled ever since his collision last year with his now-teammate Yunel Escobar. Speaking of Escobar, the Braves aren't likely to move him, so those rumors can be put to rest.
• The White Sox strengthened their bullpen by acquiring Tony Penafor minor leaguer Brandon Allen. Pena's been very reliable for the D'Backs, and is under team control through 2012. For now, this seems like a win-win deal.
• The Blue Jays made a surprising move this week, when they released B.J. Ryan. Ryan has struggled tremendously this year, but is still owed $15MM. The Jays have a very deep bullpen, but despite that depth, I don't think many saw this move coming.
• Teams looking for power can cross Adam Dunn off their midsummer wishlists. Mike Rizzo put it as plainly as he could: "We are not trading Adam Dunn."
• There will still be plenty of moves to come - the Pirates are hoping to deal Adam LaRoche and are pushing hard to trade Freddy Sanchez. Where do these two end up?
• The Phillies are in serious talks with Pedro Martinez, and it looks like Pedro may finally find a home in 2009. If the Phils do sign him, it won't dilute their interest in Halladay.

Hope everyone had a great 4th this weekend! We saw some trades this week, heard about some potential deals, and also had the International Signing Period begin on July 2! Here's your weekly look back at the MLBTR world:

• The Pirates have been all over the headlines this week, highlighted by their trade with the Nationals in which they sent Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett to Washington in exchange for Lastings Milledge and Joel Hanrahan. I've got to credit Neal Huntington for selling high on two pieces who likely aren't a major part of the club's future to buy low on a talent like Milledge and a hard-luck reliever this year in Hanrahan. Obviously, it's no sure thing, but it's the type of high upside move Bucs fans should be glad to see.
• Pittsburgh also sent Eric Hinske to the Yankees for two minor leaguers this week, and they may not be done yet. They're reportedly also considering deals for Matt Capps and John Grabow. We heard this week that the Twins are interested in both relievers, as well as Freddy Sanchez. Minnesota's bullpen has grown slightly thinner after releasing Luis Ayala this week, and their middle infield has struggled all season. Ayala signed with the Marlins on Thursday.
• The two biggest names among international players this week have been Miguel Angel Sano and Aroldis Chapman. Sano has been linked to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Minnesota. Sano's age is being investigated, but that hasn't stopped Minnesota from offering a roughly $3MM bonus. Pittsburgh has reportedly offered one as well. Despite the Twins' offer, they appear to be a distant third for Sano's services. Here's some additional information on the Dominican phenom.
• The news this week that Chapman had defected from Cuba started talks of a bidding war, and the Yankees emerged with interest in the lefty fireballer. However, recent news that Chapman may be 26 years old, and not 21 as previously thought, have lilkely caused his once high value to come down to a more reasonable price. Where can you see Chapman landing?
• Teams in need of pitching (which covers just about all of them) might not want to count on Ben Sheets this season. The former Milwaukee ace may not pitch at all in 2009. He's been heavily linked to the Rangers in the past; who should Texas be scouting as Plan B?
• Another ace who's apparently unavailable is Dan Haren, for whom the Angels attempted to begin negotiations. The D'Backs though, "almost can't conceive" a package that would make them think about moving the All-Star.
• The Mets have been decimated by injuries, but Omar Minaya seems content to rely on the return of some of his big name players and won't make a big move. Is this the right move, or is Omar being too optimistic of his players' health?
• Don't look for the Nationals to conduct a firesale either. As Mike Rizzo says, firesales mean you "want to dump people," and the Nats don't want to dump anyone. I can't fathom why the Nationals wouldn't be major sellers, though. This seems more like a play to not detract value from the trade chips he does have.

It's the last week of June, which means things are really going to start picking up around here in the coming weeks. I'm looking forward to it, how about everyone else? Let's run down the past week:

• One question we've been hearing a lot lately: Where will Mark DeRosa end up? How about parked right behind Albert Pujols in the Cardinals' lineup? St. Louis acquired DeRosa and made a big commitment to 2009 by sending Chris Perez and a player to be named later to Cleveland for the 34-year-old Swiss army knife. Given the Indians bullpen struggles, this move makes sense for both sides. The Cardinals may have given up a piece of their future, but DeRosa's strong production from 2008 has carried into 2009 and he'll vastly improve the club's playoff chances. Anyone see his catch in left for his St. Louis debut? Heck of a way to make an impression on his new fans.
• The Brewers are looking to add some more pieces to the club, and we've heard that they'd like an arm to fill a spot in a struggling rotation. Doug Davis has been mentioned, but even though the Diamondbacks are ready to sell, they're going to have high demands given the lack of sellers on the market. Who else makes sense for the Crew, keeping in mind that they don't want to move any top prospects?
• The Yankees may be in search of a bat, with Xavier Nady needing season-ending Tommy John surgery. We'd heard that Brian Cashman wasn't planning on adding a bat, but he was likely envisioning a healthy Nady in his lineup when he made that comment.
• Jarrod Washburn is having a nice rebound season, and apparently Ned Colletti and the Dodgers have taken notice. The Dodgers have been rumored to have interest in the 35-year-old lefty, but the Mariners may not be ready to sell yet. They're just three games back themselves.
• One pitcher that's almost certainly not available made some headlines this week. Josh Johnson's agent said that the Marlins ace will seek a contract along the lines of what A.J. Burnett and C.C. Sabathia received from the Yankees this season. Can Johnson command a $100MM+ contract when he's a free agent in 2012?
• The Twins designated Luis Ayala for assignment this week, after seeking out manager Ron Gardenhire and requesting a trade three weeks ago. Ayala apparently wanted to be the Twins' 8th inning setup option… but likely had an ERA around the mid-4.00s to upper 5.00s given the reported time of the trade request. Not a good time to complain about your role in the 'pen, Luis. But hey, maybe you can pitch the 8th in Pittsburgh; the Pirates are interested in you.

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there (my own included)! We're nearing the end of June already, and the trade winds should start to heat up in the coming weeks. Let's take a look back at the past week, in the meantime:

• The Tigers have benched Magglio Ordonez indefinitely, much to the chagrin of agent Scott Boras. Maggs will obviously still see the field, but his production this season has been abysmal. He has a vesting option for 2010 which I'm sure the Tigers don't want to be forced into picking up.
• More Bryce Harper news: The 16-year-old that has scouts salivating across the country is enrolling junior college, which will make him available for the 2010 draft. Hey Bryce, how do you feel about the nation's capitol…?
• Onto another 16-year-old phenom – at least we think so. MLB is investigating the age of Miguel Angel Sano prior to July 2nd to ensure that he actually is 16 years old. The Twins and Pirates are reportedly the frontrunners for the young shortstop, but we've heard more about Pittsburgh than Minnesota.
• Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden both feel like they can transfer their success this season over to the big league level, but the Red Sox don't currently have room. Something's gotta give with this situation, and probably soon. John Smoltz is set to start this week. However, the injury to Daisuke Matsuzaka might buy Boston a bit of time to figure the situation out.
• Another Red Sox pitcher had some interesting comments this week, when Jonathan Papelbon stated that he'd pitch for the Yankees or any other club if he couldn't work out a long-term deal with Boston. Sox fans obviously weren't thrilled with the comments, and Papelbon reiterated later in the week that his perfect scenario would have him pitching in Boston for the long haul.
• If the Red Sox are looking for places to deal pitching to, there's no shortage. Charlie Manuel has said he'd like the Phillies to add a starter, and the Brewers are also talking about ways to improve as a club. Manuel did imply that he'd be looking for more of an ace-type pitcher, however.
• Any team could also call up Pedro Martinez if they want some more pitching, but he's still going to be a bit costly, which may have caused the Rays and Cubs to back off. Here's some more updates on the Pedro situation.
• The Rays may not add anyone at all, in fact. An upgrade to the bullpen would be a nice boost for the club, but they apparently won't be spending on a closer if they spend any money at all.
• If you're curious which teams are in position to add some payroll, here's some that fit that description.
• Tom Glavine won't be pitching in 2009. He didn't announce his retirement, but it's hard to imagine him making a run again in 2010. He stated that he'd spend some time being a "full-time dad." If this is the end for you Tom, congratulations on a great career. Cooperstown is only a few years away.

We're getting into the summer months of the season, and the market for this year's deadline is slowly beginning to form. We heard a lot this week about teams identifying needs and creating their midsummer wish lists. Let's take a look back at what's happened in the MLBTR world since last Sunday!

• We'll start with the White Sox, because there's a lot there. The South-Siders acquired Ramon Castro this week, and subsequently DFA'ed Corky Miller. Almost as big of an impact as Jake Peavy, right? In all seriousness though, this is a nice pickup for the Sox, as it prevents them from having a black hole in their lineup every time A.J. Pierzynski sits. Miller was hitting just .205/.262/.282 and had scattered just five hits over his last 31 ABs with the Sox. Kenny Williams sent former first-rounder Lance Broadway to the Mets in exchange. Probably not what they had in mind when they drafted him.
• This isn't the end of dealing for the White Sox, though. The Sox are looking for starting pitching, and have their sights set on names like Erik Bedard and Roy Oswalt. Oswalt presents an interesting possibility; it's rumored that he might welcome a change of scenery.The Sox were scouting the Astros this week. I imagine Oswalt would command a bounty similar to what was offered for Peavy. This trade makes sense, though. The Sox need pitching and the Astros need to get younger in a hurry.
• Lots of teams looking for bats as well, and I'm sure a lot of fans out there drool over the thought of their teams acquiring Adrian Gonzalez. Unfortunately, they'll all have to keep dreaming. Gonzalez isn't available.
• The Cardinals are one team specifically looking for a bat, with the news that Troy Glaus may not be able to play at all in 2009. Mark DeRosa is a possibility, or they could buy extremely low on someone like Garrett Atkins and hope for a rebound.
• You can add the Giants to that list as well, and they've recently inquired about the availability of Dan Uggla. Uggla's been off to a terrible start, but he's picked it up the past few weeks, and his plate discipline is still there. When the line drives start dropping in, I expect his numbers to improve greatly.
• The Giants have been linked to Nick Johnson as well, and at this point, it's only a matter of who he gets traded to and when, not whether or not he will. The Nats are ready to start moving veterans, and Johnson's off to a phenomenal start to 2009, hitting .337/.438/.457. Mike Rizzo said that anyone on his team is available, if it makes a stronger team for the future. I've got to imagine that excludes Ryan Zimmerman, though.
• The month of May was an absolutely ridiculous one for Joe Mauer. Mauer posted a line of .414/.500/.838 this month, crushing 11 home runs, driving in 32, scoring 27, and drawing 19 walks to just 16 strikeouts. How much is Mauer worth when he reaches free agency? Mauer has said he'd like to stay in Minnesota, and Twins fans certainly seem convinced that their hometown hero will stay in the Twin Cities, but will a team like the Red Sox lure him away with one of the most lucrative contracts ever?
• Clint Hurdle is out as the Rockies' manager, but general manager Dan O'Dowd would like to keep him around in a front office role. The Rockies are off to a terrible start to the 2009 season. This move wasn't really a surprise to anyone.
• 2010 Options updates: Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Brewers, and Astros.
• And on a nice note to end this week (and this month, for that matter), let's once again congratulate Tim and his wife on their upcoming baby! Ben Nicholson-Smith will step up his role here at MLBTR for a few months. He already did a very nice job on the chat this week.

Another week down… let's look back at the past seven days here on MLBTR:

• We're a quarter of the way into the season, and Magglio Ordonez just hit his seventh extra base hit today; Jim Leyland is routinely putting Clete Thomas in the 3-hole over Maggs. Ordonez has a option for 2010 worth $18MM that vests at 457 plate appearances, and there's actually been talk of releasing the 35-year-old outfielder. Maggs had a nice weekend, and has shown signs of hope for Tiger fans, doubling in three consecutive games. However, we saw Detroit eat $14MM to cut ties with Gary Sheffield, could they possibly do the same with Ordonez? On a side note, how many out there made the mistake of drafting Ordonez in multiple fantasy leagues like I did? Oops…
• With Carlos Delgado out indefinitely due to hip problems, the Mets suddenly have a glaring hole in their lineup. They're considering trading for a first baseman. For now, Fernando Tatis has been filling in, but it's hard to see him as a long term solution. Anyone out there feel like putting their GM hat on and taking a stab at trade scenarios? The Royals certainly have a surplus, and the Nationals had talked about moving Nick Johnson prior to the season, though they may not want to move him within the division.
• Ben Sheets met with Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux this week. He'll begin a throwing program after one more meeting with Dr. James Andrews. If the Rangers are still in the race when Sheets is healthy, you've got to imagine he'd be just the boost they need to make a big push.
• Just weeks after acquiring Logan Kensing, the Nationals have designated the struggling reliever for assignment. Kensing was absolutely annihilated in Washington; is there any hope for the Nationals bullpen? The immediate answer seems to be no…
• The Indians added Luis Vizcaino this week, and demoted Jeremy Sowers to make room.
• The Brewers also added a veteran to the club this week, signing Frank Catalanotto to a minor league deal. He'll have to work his way up to the big leagues, but his bat can certainly be useful off their bench.
• 2010 Options Series updates: Rangers, Braves, Marlins, Mets, and Phillies.
• MLBTR is on the lookout for writers again, in case you missed the last post.

Not the busiest afternoon here on MLBTR, so let's get the Review up a little sooner than usual:

• The latest superstar to be tied to performance enhancing drugs is Manny Ramirez. Ramirez will miss 50 games after testing positive for HCG – a women's fertility drug that can be used to restart natural testosterone production following a steroid cycle. Ramirez claims it was prescribed by a physician and has issued an apology. His suspension will save the Dodgers $2.7MM this year. Can the Dodgers stay in first place without Manny? Despite the big loss, I'd say they should be there when he returns.
• More changes in the NL West – The Diamondbacks fired manager Bob Melvin and replaced him with A.J. Hinch. Melvin's Diamondbacks were off to just a 12-17 start to the 2009 campaign.
• Trades do happen early in the season, and here's proof! The Orioles sent an unhappy Ryan Freel to the Cubs in exchange for Joey Gathright. Freel's versatility should get him more playing time in Chicago than Baltimore.
• The A's and Rays had a swap of their own, as Oakland sent minor leaguer Joe Dillon to Tampa for Adam Kennedy. The A's infield has been decimated by injury, so Kennedy will provide them some depth in a return to the AL West.
• If you're a reliever in Washington, don't get too comfortable The Nationals will make even more changes to their bullpen over the coming weeks in an attempt to come up with a solution to their late-inning woes. Can anyone out there figure out something to help what's been a complete disaster so far in 2009?
• 2010 Option Series updates: Mariners, Athletics, Angels, Twins, and Royals.